Corgi 1/72 AA38807 Dornier Do17Z-2 German Light Bomber Greece May 1941 Operation Marita
Packing not perfect
Corgi's die-cast metal 1/72 scale model of the Dornier Do17Z-2 U5-BH, fast bomber 1./KG.2 Holzhammer, operational in Tatoi, Greece, - May 1941 Operation Marita.
Nicknamed the Flying Pencil by virtue of its slim fuselage, the Do17 was very similar in concept to the RAF's Blenheim, relying on high speed to avoid enemy fighters.
Model Wingspan 185mm
Developed during the early 1930s under the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, the Dornier Do17 was originally described as a freight aircraft for the German State Railway and a high-speed mail aircraft for Lufthansa. The aircraft was in fact a new breed of fast attack aircraft, or Schnellbomber, which was intended to carry out lightning bombing attacks, at speeds making it almost impervious to enemy fighter attack. With its sleek tapering fuselage, the Do17 was nicknamed The Flying Pencil and whilst this design certainly prevented the aircraft from carrying anything other than a modest bomb load, its profile made it more difficult to target in the melee of a dogfight. Seeing extensive service in the early part of WWII, the Do17s of KG.2 would support Luftwaffe operations during Operation Marita as the Wehrmacht invaded Greece, to backup a failed Italian offensive. Attacking ground and coastal targets, the Dorniers also took a heavy toll of Allied shipping in the Mediterranean theatre.